STATUS
IDEA
CLIENT
The Danish Neuroscience Center | Aarhus University Hospital
TYPOLOGY
Health
SIZE M2/FT2
19,000 / 204,514
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First of its kind in the world, the new 19,000 m2 Danish Neuroscience Center brings together psychiatry and neuroscience under one roof to combine groundbreaking science and treatment of physical and mental brain diseases, spinal cord, and nervous systems.
BIG’s design mimics the gyrification of the human brain to utilize the limited site area most efficiently while creating synergies between the different disciplines within the hospital.
Gyrification: Brain Folds
— Gyrification is the process of forming the characteristic folds of the cerebral cortex.
Corridor Building + Efficient Healthcare + Atrium = "Cortrium" Building
Traditional Corridor Building vs Unzipped Corridor Building
Connecting to Existing Buildings: No Dead Ends
— To provide maximum connectivity all building elements grow from the existing campus and plug back into it again. Creating this loop will eliminate all unnecessary dead ends.
Target Floor Area: Exceeding Site Boundary
— To reach the target GFA of 19,000 m2 the typical floor plate needs to provide an average of 3,000 m2. Following the strategy of splitting the corridors and creating a loop back to the existing building this area couldn't would exceed site boundaries.
Gyrification
— Taking the brain as a direct reference the building folds to provide the necessary square meter count within a limited site area. It leaves the building with a main atrium space and several more private courtyards. The "kissing" moments of the corridors provide shortcuts and views to the exhibition.
4.5m Floor to Floor: Kissing Corridors
— To connect to the existing building the give 4.5 m floor to floor height is maintained. Like this the technical and logistic link is given on each connecting floor.
5 Floors Above Ground
— A maximum of 5 floors (22.5 m above ground) can be reached. An adjustment of the upper floors is necessary to provide the atria with sufficient daylight.
Terracing: Daylight
— The reduction of the highest floors provides the building with outdoor terraces on each level. At the same time the center is adjusted to reach the daylight requirements and keeps the necessary connections to the existing building.
Landscape Gyrification
— The limited site area made it difficult to keep enough green spaces in all previous atrium building studies. With the folding of the building the landscape folds in as well, creating pockets of green for each courtyard.
Activating the Courtyards
— The activation of an otherwise unused courtyard provides the new research center with a direct outdoor link to the existing building and a more sheltered garden.
“Historically, hospitals have divided knowledge and expertise into different specialties and departments. DNC seeks to gather all current and future knowledge under one roof to create synergies between different expertise areas and a more holistic approach to understanding and curing brain disorders.”
Each department from neurology to nuclear medicine, headache clinic and psychiatry has its own distinct space and program functions, but to avoid separation and fragmentation between the disciplines and encourage crossbreeding between research groups, the functions are organized according to what they have in common.
CROSS SECTION
LONGITUDINAL SECTION
“The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Our design for the new Danish Neuroscience Center in Aarhus, replicates the most essential feature of the brain - the gyrification - to create more connections and space within limited confines. The building folds bring light, lots of new pathways and green pockets into the hospital making nature and biodiversity part of the hospital’s research and the healing journey of its patients.”
Natural materials such as wood and brick, will offer positive health benefits and a comforting atmosphere. The red concrete of the exterior blends well with the existing brick buildings and brings warmth to the spaces, contrasting the usual clinical and sanitized white environment of hospitals.
All office areas are naturally ventilated, and every floor has outdoor access. The stretched metal window mesh prevents glare and direct sunlight, providing each office, laboratory, or examination room with a pleasant natural light.
The new building for DNC connects directly with the existing campus of Aarhus University Hospital and seeks to intensify the hospital’s unique approach combining healthcare, education, and scientific research to collaborate and inspire each other.
19_20026_N15_webproject
The new building for DNC connects directly with the existing campus of Aarhus University Hospital and seeks to intensify the hospital’s unique approach combining healthcare, education, and scientific research to collaborate and inspire each other.
Bjarke Ingels David Zahle Alexander Jacobson Anders Holden Deleuran Andy Coward Bachir Benkirane Jesper Kanstrup Petersen Julia Novaes Tabet Katrine Juul Kristoffer Negendahl Luca Pileri Lukasz Zbigniew Migala Mantas Povilaika Mikkel Marcker Stubgaard Omar Mohamed Nabil Mohamed Saad Mowafy Taliya Nurutdinova Tore Banke Ulla Hornsyld Victor Moegreen Viktoria Millentrup Zuzanna Eugenia Montwill Natasha Lykke Lademann Østergaard Federico Martínez De Sola Monereo
COLLABORATORS
Salling Fondene
